Ontario auction alumni flash strong resumes

Yearling sales season has arrived, and shoppers can pick up a Canadian-bred youngster beginning Sept. 6, when the Ontario division of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's select sale gets underway at Woodbine. The open sessions of the sale will take place Sept. 9 and 10.

Canadian-breds continue to be popular throughout North America thanks to the success of runners such as Wild Desert, who won this year's Queen's Plate, and King of Jazz, the American-based horse who finished second in the Plate.

Both of those colts were sold at American sales, but according to a recent study in The Blood-Horse, the Ontario September auction is holding its own among the top North American sales. From 1998 through 2002, according to the study, the Ontario September auction grossed over $21 million and its yearlings averaged $21,764. A review of 22 yearling sales in Canada and the U.S. shows that average was ninth best during that period. In the same span, 15 percent of the yearlings offered at the auction went on to earn $50,000 to $100,000 and 17 percent earned over $100,000, which is fourth best on the list. That statistic is due in part to the high purse structure at Woodbine, but many sales graduates have proven themselves at the highest levels on the local circuit.

Last weekend's Prince of Wales Stakes winner, Ablo, was a $60,000 purchase by Roger Attfield from the Richard Hogan agent consignment in 2003, and this year's 3-year-old sprint star Quick in Deed was a $65,000 purchase by Kelynack Stable at the same sale.

Stakes caliber 2-year-olds who came out of last year's auction include Moon Worship, by first-crop sire Perigee Moon, and Edenwold, by Southern Halo.

The catalog for this year's sale is expected to be out by Aug. 4, with 216 yearlings entered in the select session and another 227 set for the open session.

Some of the big-name sires represented in the select session include Canadian-breds Smart Strike and Langfuhr; Holy Bull, the sire of this year's Kentucky Derby winner, Giacomo; plus new faces Graeme Hall and Cat's at Home.

Bold Executive red-hot at 21

Canada's current leading sire, Bold Executive, had three new stakes winners this month in undefeated 2-year-old Wannatalkaboutme and 3-year-olds Top Ten List and Bold Grenadier.

A 21-year-old stallion, Bold Executive now has 26 stakes-winning foals. He is 11th on the leading 2-year-old list in North America.

Top Ten List, a $20,000 purchase by trainer Bob Tiller, won the Ontario Damsel Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf July 10.

"Top Ten List was a really good-looking one," said Tiller. "It was a steal to get her for only $20,000."

Tiller has trained many top runners by Bold Executive, including last year's champion 2-year-old filly, Simply Lovely.

"Bold Executive is a great sire when it comes to producing fillies, and he's just a great sire, period," said Tiller.

Canadians quiet at Fasig-Tipton sale

Local owners and breeders made little noise at the recently completed Fasig-Tipton July sale, but a couple of high-priced yearlings are headed north.

Attfield paid $125,000 for a colt by Include out of April Honors, and Steven D'Iorio paid $160,000 for a Snow Ridge colt out of last year's Sovereign Award winning broodmare of the year, Annasan. D'Iorio also owns Annasan, the dam of champion A Bit O'Gold.

James and Jeaneane Everatt's Shannondoe Farms sold an Honour and Glory colt out of stakes winner Celmis for $110,000.

A half-brother to Wild Desert by first-year sire Cat's at Home was bought back by Jeff Begg's Windways Farm for $40,000.